Former Indian cricket captain Mohammed Azharuddin was on the hit list of gangster Abu Salem, Mumbai police sources said on Wednesday, although they were not sure what made Salem target the Hyderabad-based cricketer.
Apart from Azharuddin, there was one more prominent personality who was on Salem's hit list, the sources said, refusing to divulge the identity of the second person.
The plot to kill Azharuddin was bared almost a month ago when an associate of jailed gangster Subhash Singh Thakur, held by Aurangabad police in a cheating case, made some statements, the sources said.
The associate, Feroz Aziz Khan alias Yousuf, told Aurangabad police that a team of Salem gang was camping at Pune and was likely to proceed to Hyderabad to eliminate Azharuddin, the sources said.
Acting on the tip-off, the Maharashtra police alerted their Andhra Pradesh counterparts, following which Azharuddin was provided adequate security, the sources added.
The Aurangabad police reportedly launched a probe but did not succeed in tracing the shooters nor could it ascertain the motive, they said.
"We too have not been able to ascertain the motive since the gang that was supposed to execute is at large," a senior Mumbai crime branch official told PTI.
Feroz Aziz Khan, police sources said, is currently in custody of Andheri police as he is wanted in several cases of robbery, cheating and extortion.
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